Wire container



Feb. 20, 1951 c, SHUMWAY 2,542,882

WIRE CONTAINER Filed March 10, 1947 attorneys Patented Feb. '20, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WIRE CONTAINER Jay C. Shumway, Kansas City, Mo.

Application March 10, 1947, Serial No. 733,517

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to a wire or cable container and more particularly to such a container for holding a coil of wire during shipping and dispensing thereof.

Wire or cable, for example electrical cable, is shipped on spools and in cartons, and where the wire is dispensed in small quantities, as in a retail store or an installation project, a problem arises in arranging for convenient distribution of the containers and dispensing wire from the coils therein without kinking or otherwise forming a bind which interferes with the dispensing of same. Also where the wire is normally dispensed from a container the coil tends to collapse, further interfering with the unwinding of the cable therefrom, particularly if the container is mounted on a wall.

The objects of the present invention are, therefore, to provide a container for holding a coil of wire or cable and preventing kinks or binding of said wire as it is dispensed from the container; to provide a container with cooperating substantially conical members acting as a coil spreader and guide for wire being unwound from the coil therein; to provide a guide in the container whereby pulling on the wire unwinds same from the coil and dispenses it from the container regardless of the direction in which said wire is pulled; to provide a spreader in the container for the coil of wire to reduce the tendency of the coils to collapse during dispensing of wire therefrom; to provide a wire container adaptable to mounting on a wall without interference of the unwinding and dispensing of the wire therefrom to provide a container with means for supporting a coil of wire therein which may be conveniently transported and used as desired without danger of interference of the dispensing of the wire from said container; to provide a wire container which may be easily opened for insertion of a new coil and the parts reassembled and secured without damage to the container; and to provide a simple, sturdy and efficient structure for supporting and dispensing of a coil of wire free of kinks and the like without attention from the user. i In accomplishing these and other objects of the present invention, I have provided improved details of structure the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the wire container embodying the present invention, portions of said container being broken away to better illustrate the structure.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a wire container suspended on a wall.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the wire container, portions thereof being broken away to illustrate the location of the wire and the guiding of same from the container.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through the container particularly illustrating the location of the coil of wire therein and the guiding of said wire from the container.

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view illustrating a fastening device for securing the respective portions of the container in assembled position.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

l designates a wire container preferably formed of fibreboard or other suitable material, and consisting primarily of a base member 2, a cover 3, a substantially conical shaped coil support and spreader 4, and a substantially frustro-conical shaped guide 5. The wire support l consists of a substantially conical member preferably formed of fibreboard or other suitable sheet material, the sides 6 of which slope downwardly and outwardly from an apex 1. The sides 6 terminate at their lower ends 8 in outturned edges 9 adapted to rest on the bottom wall ID of the base member 2 adjacent side walls ll extending upwardly from the bottom wall 10. The side walls H may form sides of a trough for receiving a coil. of wire adapted to be enclosed in the container, or if desired a liner l2 preferably of fibreboard may be inserted inside of the side walls I l to provide ad ditional strength thereto and also aid in retaining the wire support in place. The side walls ii and liner it are preferably of greater height than the altitude of the apex 1 from the plane defined by the lower edges 8 of the conical member and may bearranged in any desired geometric shape, the illustrated structure showing said walls de fining a square enclosure. The upper edges i3 and M of said side walls and liner preferably terminate in the same plane. In such structure the walls 6 form a modified cone whereby said walls will blend into the square arrangement at th base thereof.

The guide 5 in the illustrated structure consists of a modified frustro-conical member formed of fibreboard or the like, the side edges l5 of said member preferably being arranged in asquare of substantially the same outer dimensions as the walls I I whereby the guide will rest on the upper edges l3 and I4 of said walls and liner, the portion of said guide adjacent the edges [5 being flat for a Width of at least the thickness of the walls and liner to provide suitable contact between said guide and walls. The flat portion of the guide terminates, as at I6, in downwardly and inwardly directed walls I'I, said walls being arranged at substantially the same angle relative to the axis of the container as the walls 6 of the wire support, the walls I! terminating in a preferably circular opening I8, the edges I9 of which are spaced from the walls 6 of the wire support to provide an annular opening therebetween of slightly greater width than the diameter of the wire to be held in the container, the opening I8 preferably being arranged at substantially midway the height of the walls I I The cover 3 preferably consists of a flat top wall 20 of the same contour as the enclosure de fined by the wall I I and is provided with a central opening 2I substantially smaller than the opening I8 in the guide, yet preferably large enough to permit the wire to be drawn from the container and in any direction.

The top wall 29 is provided with downwardly directed side wall flaps 22 preferably extending from the edges of said top wall to substantially the bottom of the base member 2 when the lower face 23 of said top wall is in engagement with the flat portion at the edges of-the guide 5, the side edges 24 of the flaps 22 being secured in any suitable manner to form the corners of the cover member. The cover member is preferably secured to the base member 2 by means of suitable fastening devices, for example metal tabs 25 secured to opposite walls II of the base member and adaptedv to extend through openings 26 in said top'wall and bent over as illustrated in Fig. 1.

In order to provide for hanging the container on a wall of a room the bottom wall I0 is preferably provided with a, suitable aperture 21 adjacent one corner thereof and adapted to receive any suitable hanger on which the .container may be supported.

The wire support 4, when the container is resting on the bottom Iii, forms a central, pyramidal member Within the container to engage within the axial openings of a coil of 'wire 28 to be placed in the container and held centrally thereinias illustrated in Fig. 4, said coil being confined by the walls 6 of the wire support 4, walls I! of the guide 5, and the side walls I I and/or liner I2.

. The inner end of the coil passes through the open- 4 engages the flat portion of the guide 5. The tabs are then bent over to engage the'outer surfaces of the walls I I to secure members of the container in tightly closed condition. It is to be noted that the end 3| of the wire is located between the sides I! of the guide and the top wall 20 of the cover, and if desired the opening 2| may be closed or suitably sealed during shipping.

In opening the container to dispense the Wire therefrom, any closure for the opening 2! is removed and by reaching through the opening 2|, the end 3| of the wire may be drawn therethrough. The container may then be hung on a wall as illustrated in Fig. 2 by inserting a suitable hanger on said wall through the opening 2! in the bottom wall and the wire dispensed as desired ,from the container by drawing on the end 3 I. As

the wire is drawn from the container the inner turns on the coil will move toward the apex of the sides 6, forming a long spiral, free from the other turns of the coil and will pass freely through the annular opening I8 and the opening 2! without kinking or binding, said openings acting as guides for the wire as it passes therethrough.

' When the container is mounted on a wall as shown in Fig. 2, the upper portion of the coil will rest on the sides 6 and I! to maintain said coil in substantially the same shape and prevent collapse thereof. When the container is resting on the bottom wall IE], the coil is supported between the sides 6 and walls II and/or liner I2, which will also prevent said coil from collapsing as the wire is unwound therefrom, thereby in either position the coil is supported in a V-shaped trough and the turns of said coil may move toward the apex of the conical member in a long spiral free from kinks and the like.

This construction provides a very strong container which not only serves as a container in which the wire coilmay be shipped, but also as a holder in Which'the coil may be carried from place to place and fromwhich it may be directly dispensed without kinking or binding. Obviously, changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

formed by the sides 6 and walls I i.- The inner end (H of the coil is loosened and drawn upwardly adjacent the apex I of the conical member and the guide member 5 placed over the coil with the flat portion adjacent the edges I5 of said guide engaging the upper edges I3 and I4 of the walls II and liner I2, the end 3| of the wire extending through the opening I8 of the guide. The cover 3 is then placed over the guide member with the side walls 22 thereof engaging the outer surface of the wall II and'movecl downwardly in such a manner that the tabs 25 on the wall II extend through the openings 26 in the top wall 2!! of the cover. Pressure is then applied to the cover memb whe b the. nn iace 23 0f he t p Wa What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device for holding and dispensing a coil of wire, a container having side and top walls, said top wall having an opening therein, a substantially conical member in the container having its axis perpendicular to and centrally of the top wall, said conical member having sides extending outwardly and downwardly into engagement with the side walls of the container in spaced relation to the top wall to form an annular trough for a coil of wire, the apex of the conical member being spaced inwardly of the container from the top wall, and a hollow inverted frusto-conical member in the container extending downwardly from the top wall and having its small end relatively close to but spaced from and surrounding the conical member providing an annular guide opening between the said small end of said frustoconical member and surface of said conical member through which the wire moves in passing from the coil to the opening in the top wall.

2. In adevice for holding and dispensing a coil of wire, a container having side, bottom and top walls, said top wall having a central opening therein, a substantially conical member sup ported on the bottom of the container and having its axis perpendicular thereto, saidconical member extending upwardly fromthe bottom and r cooperating with the side walls of the container to form an annular trough for a coil of wire, the apex of the conical member being in alignment with the opening in the top wall and spaced inwardly of the container therefrom, and an inverted substantially frusto-conical hollow member in the container coaxial with the conical member and extending downwardly from the top wall, said frusto-conical member having its small end relatively close to but spaced from and surrounding the conical member providing an annular guide opening between the said small end of said frusto-conical member and surface of said conical member through which the wire moves in passing from the coil to the opening in the top wall.

3. In a device for holding and dispensing a coil of wire, a container comprising a cover member and bottom member, said cover member having an opening therein, side walls on the cover and bottom members, the side walls of one member overlying th side walls of the other, a substantially conical member having sides extending upwardly and inwardly from adjacent the outer extremities of the bottom member and terminating in the container in spaced relation to the cover member, and an inverted frusto-conical member extending downwardly from the cover member, the small end of said frusto-conical member being relatively close to but spaced from and surrounding the sides of the substantially conical member providing an annular guide opening between the said small end of said frustoconical member and the surface of said substantially conical member, said frusto-conical member and the substantially conical member forming a chamber for containing a coil of wire, the end of which moves through the annular opening in passing from the coil to the opening in the cover member.

4. In a device for holding and dispensing a coil of wire, a container comprising a cover meniber and bottom member, said cover member hav ing a central opening therein, side walls on the cover and bottom members, the side walls of one member overlying the side walls of the other, a substantially conical member having sides extending upwardly and inwardly from adjacent the outer extremities of the bottom member to an apex in the container and spaced from the cover member, an inverted irusto-conical member having sides extending downwardly and inwardly from the cover member, the lower edges of said sides being spaced from the sides of the substantially conical member providing an annular opening between the lower edges of the sides of said frusto-conical member and the surface of said conical member and located substantially midway between the cover and bottom members, the frusto-conical member and the substantially conical member forming a chamber for containing a coil of wire, the end of which is led and guided through the annular opening to the central opening in the cover member, and means on the cover member engaging the bottom member for securing the container in closed condition.

JAY C. SHUMWAY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

